Category: Christendom


How to Kill a Viral Jesus Movement

Filed Under: Christendom, Church History, Church Life, Jesus is Lord, Meeting Together, New Covenant, Spiritual Life, Supernaturalism, The Viral Jesus Book, Viral Christianity by rossrohde — 3 Comments
April 13, 2012

It's great while it lasts. We need to learn to not take control from Jesus so they do last.

When viral Jesus movements (also called revivals) happen they are exciting, powerful and fruitful. They can also be surprisingly fragile. God begins many of these but they are killed because of inappropriate human activity. I want to discuss this activity so that none of us are ever a part of killing a movement of God.

The Wrong Wineskins

In my book Viral Jesus I note that what I call partial Jesus movements normally last twenty years or less. By partial Jesus movements I am referring to a movement of the Spirit (revival) that gets snuffed too early. I would include in this list the 1st Great Awakening, the 2nd Great Awakening, The Moravian movement, the Welsh revivals, the Azusa Street Revival…I could go on. Here’s the sad point, we have not seen a single viral Jesus movement go for more than about twenty years between the Edict of Milan in 313 AD and the current viral Jesus movement in China in 1949. That’s 1,636 years. Let me be clear, a number of these movements sparked significant lasting change. Both the 2nd Great Awakening and the Azusa Street Revival gave birth to current denominations. But the lasting power and presence of the Holy Spirit was gone, as was the rapid in gathering of souls. The Assemblies of God denomination was born out of Azusa Street. Is the average Assemblies church having a rapid in gathering of souls? Is there a pervasive holiness among members that is any different than say a Baptist church? The revival had long lasting effects but the revival itself has gone.

In contrast, the first viral Jesus movement, the early Church lasted about 280 years. Honestly it was losing its power before the Edict of Milan but that was the largest and last nail in the coffin. The viral Jesus movement which is currently happening in China has been going on since 1949 (63 years and counting). What’s the difference? Put simply the difference is wineskins. The way of doing church which we now think of as standard practice, (congregational meetings in dedicated buildings with a hierarchical leadership structure) is a hostile environment to the Spirit’s powerful work. For specific details of this read the chapters The Crumbling of a Viral Jesus Movement and The History of Partial Viral Jesus Movements in Viral Jesus. How could the early church sustain a viral movement for nearly 300 years? They didn’t have our current church practice. When it finally became formalized the viral movement stopped. How can our Chinese brethren sustain their movement of the Sprit for over 60 years? They don’t follow standard church practice. You can read about that in Thank You Chairman Mao. Following are some of the more specific reasons that our more traditional practices kill viral Jesus movements.

Human Control

The Church was specifically designed to function with Jesus as Lord and his servants to listen to His specific instructions because of the new covenant. In the new covenant Jesus the Lord gives us specific directions to our hearts and minds (Heb. 8:10). Have you ever seen footage of a SWAT team entering a house to make an arrest? It is confusing and chaotic. One guy is yelling POLICE! Another is commanding, “PUT UP YOUR HANDS!” The next is screaming, “GET ON THE GROUND!” Another is saying, “DON’T MOVE YOUR HANDS!” All the while there are flash bang grenades going off. Chaos! That’s what we have now in the Church, thousands of human leaders “leading.” There is so much human noise it becomes difficult to hear the still small voice of the Lord speaking into our hearts and minds. This human domination can also manifest itself in a leader, group or denomination trying to control what happens.

Focus on Manifestations or Avoid Them

In my last post Characteristics of a Jesus Movement I mentioned two current tendencies, to bask in the glow of supernatural manifestations or shun them. Both can kill viral Jesus movements. To encounter God’s supernatural power is wonderful. But God gives this for specific reasons, to change our lives towards holiness, to show his power to the world and spread his Gospel. It is not a spiritual drug for us to merely enjoy. When we focus on the manifestation and not the Master we risk losing both. In the opposite direction we have brethren who are so steeped in secular rationalism that they are offended by supernatural manifestations. They seem weird, inappropriate and distasteful. In fact, to many they seem satanic. I give a sound test to see what is from God and what is from the devil in my post Is This God or the Devil? However, both of these fleshly tendencies create a hostile environment for a viral Jesus movement.

Fail to Become Missional

There have been a number of truncated viral movement in the US in the last thirty years. They started out fine, despite the bad wineskins, but they fizzled. What happened? Two things happened in my opinion. First, people were curious about the supernatural manifestations but weren’t serious about God’s plans. In other words, it quickly became human focused instead of God focused (see above). But the second problem was that there was little focus on allowing God’s work to become missional. In my post Characteristics of a Jesus Movement I noted, “true Jesus movements start out attractional and very quickly become missional.” That happened in the 1st and 2nd Great Awakenings, the Moravian movement, and the Azusa Street revival. Currently the tendency is to come and observe, come and experience, come and enjoy; but there isn’t a lot of going unto all the world to preach the Gospel. These truncated movements have died or will shortly if they don’t take God’s purposes in mind and follow Him out into the harvest.

  • Do you see any common factors in these fatal behaviors?
  • Why do you think the form of the wineskins makes so much difference?
  • Why do you think Jesus movement die if they don’t become missional?
  • Why does human control (not the same as human participation) truncate viral Jesus movements?
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Characteristics of a Jesus Movement

Filed Under: Church History, Evangelism, Meeting Together, Spiritual Life, Viral Christianity by rossrohde — 3 Comments
April 11, 2012

Jesus movements don't just happen.

I’m not particularly fond of the word revival. Partly it is because it means different things to different people. To those of evangelical persuasion it is a reference to a rapid ingathering of souls. For others it speaks of a renewal of holiness and commitment to God among His people. And to many of Charismatic and Pentecostal backgrounds the emphasis is on supernatural manifestations of the Spirit. So which is it? My answer is yes. A real outpouring of God’s Spirit among His people normally has all three of these aspects; it renews and deepens the relationship between God and his people which leads to holy living. It is accompanied by supernatural manifestations; manifestations which can take those who are not accustomed to them by surprise, perhaps even offending them. And, it results in a great harvest of souls. But because the word revival is so abused, I’m going to talk about Jesus movements.

Picking and Choosing

So, is an apple the peal, the fruit or the seeds? The answer is yes. Our problem with Jesus movements is we only want the part that appeals to us and leave out the rest. This dividing the various aspects of Jesus movements, so we can focus on the parts we like, is destructive. That is to say it kills the Jesus movement, or it impedes it in the first place. Is it any wonder that Jesus movements are rare? I want to make a point here. Jesus movements aren’t about us. They involve us. They enrich us. They renew us. But God wants to redeem His world and involve us in the process.

A true Jesus movement has all three of the aspects I’ve mentioned above; God’s people are renewed, God draws people to himself through His people and there are powerful manifestations of spiritual power. These three are deeply interrelated. God can’t bring people to himself if his bride isn’t beautiful. That’s where renewal comes in. Further, like it or not, it is those strange and unusual manifestations of supernatural power that is part of the attraction. Go back and read Acts 2 again. Then read my last post about the 2nd Great Awakening. Yes, the weirdness turns some off (as it did in Act 2), but it attracts others, and it demonstrates God’s power. Frankly, some people come for the show and leave with the King. But true Jesus movements start out attractional and very quickly become missional. If they don’t, they die, which I’ll speak about in the next post.

Sparking a Jesus Movement

But how do Jesus movements start in the first place? They start when God’s people desperately and consistently ask for them. They ask for three things: 1.) to be revived within, 2.) to have an outpouring of the Spirit (which results in supernatural manifestations), and 3.) for an ingathering of souls. Does this sound familiar? As an example think about Acts 2 and its aftermath.

In my last post The 2nd Great Awakening I quoted part of a covenant that James McGready and his friends made with God thorough prayer. I’ll quote the whole thing here and note these three aspects working together.

When we consider the word and promises of a compassionate God to the poor lost family of Adam, we find the strongest encouragement for Christians to pray in faith–to ask in the name of Jesus for the conversion of their fellow-men (3). None ever went to Christ when on earth, with the case of their friends, that were denied, and, although the days of his humiliation are ended, yet, for the encouragement of his people, he has left it on record, that where two or three agree upon earth to ask in prayer, believing, it shall be done. Again, whatsoever you shall ask the Father in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. With these promises before us, we feel encouraged to unite our supplications to a prayer-hearing God for the outpouring of his Spirit (2), that his people may be quickened and comforted (1), and that our children, and sinners generally, may be converted (3). Therefore, we bind ourselves to observe the third Saturday of each month, for one year, as a day of fasting and prayer for the conversion of sinners in Logan county, and throughout the world. We also engage to spend one half hour every Saturday evening, beginning at the setting of the sun, and one half hour every Sabbath morning, from the rising of the sun, pleading with God to revive his work (1).

Jesus movements happen when God’s people fervently and consistently pray together for renewal, the salvation of their fellow men and an outpouring of the Holy Spirit. When God answers their prayer, what once was difficult becomes easy. And, God’s purposes for us and through us are fulfilled. I want that. Do you? If we really want it, we need to gather like minded people and begin to pray.

  • Many Christians long for revival. Many even pray for them. If you have, did you ask for all of the aspects of revival? Were you persistent?
  • Which of these three aspects, renewal of God’s people, an outpouring of God’s Spirit and a harvest of souls for God do you think is superfluous?
  • One person asking for revival doesn’t seem to bring a Jesus movement; it takes a gathering of his people; why do you think that is so?
  • Christianity was designed to be in constant revival mode. That’s what we are seeing in China and India today. Why do you think it is so easy to become contented with the status quo?
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Is This God or the Devil?

Filed Under: Biblical Meditation, Church History, Evangelism, Supernaturalism, Viral Christianity by rossrohde — 4 Comments
April 9, 2012

Viral Jesus movments are where the battle is the most intense.

This post is the third in a series which seeks to ask the question, what kind of spirituality do we need if we are going to see a viral Jesus movement in organic churches in the West? In the first blog Running on One Leg I described three different forms of spirituality we see in those seeking to see a viral Jesus movement. In the second The Second Great Awakening  I show what one of many viral Jesus movements looked like. I also note that these movements are often accompanied by strange manifestations. In this post I want to outline how we can determine if what is happening is coming from God or from his enemy.

Viral Jesus movements are attacked by the devil. This happens in two ways. First, the devil, who knows what manifestations of a Jesus Movement look like, can counterfeit them. After all, he does like to present himself as an angel of light. It should come as no surprise then that non-Christian religions like Mormonism, Buddhism and Islam sometimes manifest similar manifestations to those that accompany viral Jesus movements. But, keep in mind the devil isn’t going to counterfeit something that is already false or evil, there is no point from his perspective. He is only going to counterfeit what is wholesome and true.

However, what is even more confusing, the devil likes to lurk around the edges of viral Jesus movements then join in so he can discredit what Jesus is doing. The devil lurking around the edges usually expresses itself when he tempts spiritually weak or gullible people to fall into serious sin while participating in a movement of the Spirit. This give him a chance to have others say, “See, this is sinful, it is obviously from the devil.” It should come as no great surprise that at Cane Ridge, the powerful revival meeting that was a key flash point for The Second Great Awakening, people were getting drunk and committing adultery and fornication in the woods nearby. That’s the devil lurking around the edges and joining in to discredit.

The Test

Jesus told us:

“Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves.  By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? Likewise every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.” (Matt. 7:15-20).

What can be said about testing false prophets can also be said for testing movements of the Spirit from the devil’s behavior. The test is do they produce good fruit or bad. The 2nd Great Awakening saw millions come to Christ, it changed the society from violent and dangerous to peaceful and holy. It also sparked such important social reforms as abolition, women’s rights, education reform, penal reform and temperance. That’s good fruit. Would the devil do that? The mini Pentecost experienced by the Moravians on August 13, 1727 sparked a missions movement (good fruit). The Azuza Street revivals sparked the Pentecostal movement which has seen hundreds of millions come to Christ and has sparked a missions movement which has covered the globe (good fruit). When a movement sparks such good fruit it is clearly from God, even when seems to us to have strange manifestations that we may find uncomfortable.

Three Mistakes

It is easy to throw the baby out with the bathwater. This can express itself in at least three ways. The first is to see what we consider to be strange and distasteful manifestations and proclaim them works of the devil. Before we do so, check the fruit. The second is to point out that the same or similar behavior is being manifest in ungodly movements. This is guilt by association. The test is the same, check the fruit. The fruit of Mormonism or Islam is not the same fruit as a viral Jesus movement, but it can look similar. Finally, even in a viral Jesus movement the devil can enter in along the edges to discredit. Just because there are inappropriate things happening to a few who are participating doesn’t mean the whole thing is of the devil. It means that some people have been duped by the devil. For example, some overzealous people in the Pentecostal movement split churches and wounded people in their zeal. However, the answer is not to be duped as well, it is to check the fruit. Let me ask you, despite some bad things that have happened in the Pentecostal movement, do you think the devil was behind hundreds of millions coming to Christ and a worldwide missions movement? We need to check the fruit of the whole movement as well as check the fruit of individual behavior, and discern the difference between the two. The movement may be of God, while individual acts may be a satanic distraction.

In the next post I’m going to talk about common characteristics of revival. Finally, in the last post in the series I’m going to talk about how to kill a viral Jesus movement; it’s easier than you may think.

  • Why do you think so many Christians are quick to dismiss movements of the Spirit?
  • Is weird or unexpected behavior an automatic sign that something is from the devil?
  • Does ungodly things happening among an otherwise healthy movement a sign that the whole thing is rotten fruit? Does everyone in your church or denomination act appropriately?
  • Can you think of another way to test if something is of the Spirit of God or from the devil?
  • Why do you think some Christians are willing to attribute supernatural power to the devil but not to God?
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The 2nd Great Awakening

Filed Under: Christendom, Church History, Evangelism, Recommended Books, Spiritual Life, Supernaturalism, Viral Christianity by rossrohde — 5 Comments
April 6, 2012

A Small Part of the Meeting at Cane Ridge

In my last post Running on One Leg  I described the spirituality required for a viral Jesus Movement. In this post I’m going to describe what just one of these movements looked like; although there have been many in Christian history. In my book Viral Jesus I devote four chapters to this issue: The Early Church: The First Viral Jesus Movement, The Crumbling of a Viral Jesus Movement, The History of Partial Viral Jesus Movements, and China: A Current Viral Jesus Movement.

It started with a covenant with God

In the wilds of Kentucky in 1799 the members of three churches in Muddy River, Red River and Gaspar River signed a covenant with their circuit riding Presbyterian preacher named James McGready. They promised to pray every Saturday evening, Sunday morning and fast the second Saturday of every month. The covenant read in part:

When we consider the Word and promises of a compassionate God, to the poor lost family of Adam, we find the strongest encouragement for Christians to pray in faith—to ask in the name of Jesus for the conversion of their fellow men…With these promises before us, we feel encouraged to unite our supplications to a prayer-hearing God, for the outpouring of His Spirit, that His people may be quickened and comforted, and that our children, and sinners generally, may be converted.

The Movement Spread from Red River

In June of 1800 while McGready’s Methodist friend John McGee preached passionately at a communion service at Red River the Spirit came in power. Here’s a portion of McGee own account of what happened as he preached:

Several spoke to me: “You know these people. Presbyterians are much for order, they will not bear this confusion, go back and be quiet.” I turned to go back—and was near falling, the power of God was strong upon me. I turned again and losing sight of fear of man, I went through the house exhorting with all possible ecstasy and energy.”[1]

Here’s how Peter Marshall and David Manuel in their book From Sea to Shining Sea described what happened next.

With that, the dam broke, and the floods of salvation swept through the assembly. In a moment, the floor was “covered with the slain: their screams for mercy pierced the heavens,” and according to McGready, one could see “profane swearers and Sabbath-breakers pricked to the heart and crying out “What shall we do to be saved?”[2]

This powerful revival swept through the other congregations in the area to the point that in 1801  McGready, McGee and their other Presbyterian, Methodist and Baptist preacher friends decided to make a clearing in the deep woods at Cane Ridge to hold a large revival meeting. The preachers were stunned when twenty-five thousand people showed up in the middle of the wilderness. This was about one eighth of the entire state’s population.

Demonstrations of the Power of God

Powerful but strange manifestations of a Viral Movement

Here’s the weird thing. This revival in the middle of the woods was accompanied by some very bizarre manifestations of the Spirit. Here’s how James B. Finley, who came to observe as a skeptic, described just one of those strange manifestations, people all shouting at once.

The noise was like the roar of Niagara. The vast sea of human beings seemed to be agitated as if by a storm. I counted seven ministers, all preaching at one time, some on stumps, others in wagons…. Some of the people were singing, others praying, some crying for mercy in the most piteous accents, while others were shouting most vociferously. While witnessing these scenes, a peculiarly-strange sensation, such as I had never felt before, came over me. My heart beat tumultuously, my knees trembled, my lips quivered, and I felt as though I must fall to the ground. A strange supernatural power seemed to pervade the entire mass of mind there collected…. Soon after, I left and went into the woods, and there I strove to rally and man up my courage.

After some time, I returned to the scene of the excitement, the waves of which, if possible, had risen still higher. The same awfulness of feeling came over me… I saw at least five hundred swept down in a moment, as if a battery of a thousand guns had been opened upon them, and then immediately followed shrieks and shouts that rent the very heavens. My hair rose up on my head…. I fled into the woods a second time, and wished I had stayed at home.[3]

What Finley, who became a frontier preacher himself, describes is actually quite mild compared to some of the other powerful manifestations that happened at Cane Ridge. But what was the result? Did this really result in the Kingdom moving forward? Let’s hear from a contemporary skeptic.

Personal holiness was not the only result from the 2nd Great Awakening

How this affected society

Dr. George Baxter, a minister was sent to Kentucky by Presbyterian officials in Princeton to put an end to such shameful nonsense. Keep in mind that Kentucky before the revival was an evil place, nicknamed Rogue’s Harbor for all the outlaws that congregated there to avoid more organized society (i.e. the law). Here’s part of Baxter’s report to his superiors.

The power with which this revival has spread, and its influence in moralizing the people are difficult for you to conceive, and more so for me to describe…. I found Kentucky, to appearance, the most moral place I had ever seen. A profane expression was hardly ever heard. A religious awe seemed to pervade the country…. Never in my life have I seen more genuine marks of that humility which…looks to the Lord Jesus Christ as the only way of acceptance with God. I was indeed highly pleased to find that Christ was all and in all in their religion…and it was truly affecting to hear with what agonizing anxiety awakened sinners inquired for Christ, as the only physician who could give them any help.

Those who call these things “enthusiasm,” ought to tell us what they understand by the Spirit of Christianity…. Upon the whole, sir, I think the revival in Kentucky among the most extraordinary that have ever visited the Church of Christ, and all things considered, peculiarly adapted to the circumstances of that country…. Something of an extraordinary nature seemed necessary to arrest the attention of a giddy people, who were ready to conclude that Christianity was a fable, and futurity a dream. This revival has done it; it has confounded infidelity, awed vice to silence, and brought numbers beyond calculation under serious impressions.[4]

In the next three posts I’m going to ask the question, how can we determine if strange behavior is from God or the devil? In the subsequent post I’m going to talk about common characteristics of viral Jesus movements. Finally, in the last post in the series I’m going to talk about how to kill a viral Jesus movement.

  • Have you ever been a part of a viral Jesus movement like this?
  • Would you want to be a part of this or is it just too weird?
  • Do you think this kind of thing can be counterfeited by the devil? If so, how do we distinguish what comes from the devil and what comes from God?
  • What do you think the common characteristics of a viral Jesus movement are? How do these things get started?
  • Why isn’t Christianity like this all the time? How does this get suppressed?

[1] Charles A. Johnson, The Frontier Camp Meeting (Dallas: Southern Methodist University Press, 1955), 35.

[2] Peter Marshall, Manuel, David, From Sea to Shining Sea (Old Tappan, New Jersey, Fleming H. Revell Company, 1986), 62.

[3] Marshall and Manuel, p. 68 quoting Johnson p. 64-65.

[4] Ibid., 69.

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Running on One Leg

Filed Under: Christendom, Evangelism, Spiritual Life, Supernaturalism, Viral Christianity by rossrohde — Leave a comment
April 4, 2012

It's hard to move forward.

I recently spoke at the Momentum West Coast 2012: Organic Church Conference. The title for my talk was “Practical Spirituality.” I wanted to answer the question, what kind of spirituality do we need if we are going to see a viral Jesus movement in organic churches in the West? I think that’s a pretty good question. Have you ever asked yourself that? Here’s what I said.

Hopping

Many of us have been trying to do organic ministry as if we were trying to run on one leg, and it’s our weak leg at that. Imagine standing on only your left leg and then trying to run. It’s clumsy isn’t it? Our left leg represents the human side of ministry: models, methods, techniques, paradigms, objectives…you get the picture. These aren’t bad things. After all God will need to give us some sort of model, technique, method, etc. if we are to accomplish ministry. However, focusing only on these things leaves us hopping when we need to be sprinting.

Limping

At least we are going someplace.

Ever notice that Jesus never said, “If you get the best techniques down just right you will bear much fruit?” What did he say? “I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing” (Jn 15:5). Techniques and the rest, in and of themselves, are totally worthless. They are worthless because real fruit comes from Jesus, not us. He bears fruit through us; we don’t bear fruit for Him. That’s exactly what He means when He said, “apart from Me you can do nothing.” Now we have put the other leg, the leg of abiding spirituality on the ground. This is our strong leg. Now we can move forward, better said; now we can limp. Limp? Yes limp. Individuals working alone in an abiding relationship with God can move forward but it is not with the power that accompanies viral Jesus movements. It is good, but it is not all that God has for us. Don’t get mad yet, hear me out.

Now we are doing what God designed us for.

Running

Viral Jesus movements  look different than merely godly people ministering in the Spirit. There is much more power. And I think God wants us to work in that power. After His resurrection Jesus spent forty days with his disciples then he ascended. But, before He left He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or epochs which the Father has fixed by His own authority; but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth” (Acts 1:7-8). In response to this 120 of his disciples went to an upper room and prayed for ten days…then all heaven broke loose. I don’t need to tell you the rest of the story, you already know it.

What you may not know is that throughout Christian history there have been a number of mini Pentecosts. When they happen, there is tons of power, rather strange manifestations, and the Gospel moves out quickly and in tremendous power. The same people who before preached the Gospel with meager results now preach the gospel with incredible results.

In my next post I’m going to give just one example of what this looks like, the Second Great Awakening. I’m going to quote original sources and give a glimpse of what God’s power looks like, and the results that it gives. Then in the following three posts I’m going to ask the question, how can we determine if strange behavior is from God or the devil? In the subsequent post I’m going to talk about common characteristics of revival. Finally, in the last post in the series I’m going to talk about how to kill a viral Jesus movement.

  • Do you think we can move the Kingdom forward just focusing on techniques, methods, and the rest?
  • Have you found yourself thinking, if I can just learn how to “do it right” everything will begin to work?
  • Why do you think Jesus offers fruit, more fruit, much fruit and fruit that remains (Jn. 15:1-17) only to those who abide in Him?
  • Do you think I have it wrong, that we can actually develop powerful ministry just by studying and implementing the best techniques?
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Sand In the Gears

Filed Under: Apostolic Ministry, Christendom, Church History, Jesus is Lord, Spiritual Life, Supernaturalism, Viral Christianity, Worldview by rossrohde — 2 Comments
March 12, 2012

Does our ministry practice throw sand in the gears of the Kingdom?

I’m often asked by people in non-organic churches, particularly pastors, why I don’t care for such things as hierarchical leadership, buildings, denominations, ministry as business methodology and other such non-biblical encrustations. While I try to be gracious when I speak of such issues, particularly in Viral Jesus, there is nevertheless, I believe, a need to talk about such strategic issues.

The assumption is often that these issues are my personal pet peeves and that such issues are a matter of personal preference, somewhat like choosing what shirt one was wearing that particular day. Nothing could be farther from the truth.

Another assumption is that I am such a stickler for biblical literalness that I can’t seem to distinguish between what is required biblically (such things as holiness and prayer) and what is optional, such as cultural expressions and technology. The main assumption is that issues like buildings, clergy and ministry as business are just cultural expressions based on our culture and time. The argument goes that having clergy or doing ministry as a business project is no less biblical that talking on a telephone or using a computer. For the record I use both telephones and computers. Again, this is a false assumption and in my opinion, a false analogy.

So why do I care so much about such issues? There are two interrelated issues that create concern on my part. The two issues are frictionlessness and the lordship of Jesus. I will address each separately, but they are deeply related and I am aware of the relationship.

I was watching a Ted Talk the other day and was struck by Jennifer Pahlka’s use of the word “frictionless.” I thought, that’s it, we need an ecclesiology that is frictionless; one that doesn’t get in the way of Jesus’ agenda, which is the spread of His Kingdom. The way the church functioned and the way they did ministry in the New Testament was frictionless; it did not interfere with Jesus’ agenda, it was built exactly for that purpose. The old saying form follows function holds true in ecclesiology as well as building automobiles.

When we do what seems to us as innocuous, like focusing ministry in a building, there are all sorts of unintended consequences. In effect we have taken a Kingdom expanding ministry and forced it to be stuck in place and time.  New Testament ministry was apostolically and prophetically centered (besides the main focus on Jesus the Lord). It was a ministry done “out there,” in society. It had no barriers of place or time. And it was always moving outward. If the best place to meet seekers is in a parking lot at 3 AM, then apostles do exactly that. They can plant a church right there among people who would never darken the door of a church. But the second we have “worship service” at 11:00 AM on Sunday, and do the majority of ministry in a designated building, biblically designed apostolic ministry grinds to a halt. It is like throwing sand in the gears of the Kingdom. Our ministry practice ceases to be frictionless. It starts to get in the way of Jesus’ well thought out and frictionless ministry practice. In other words, the rapid and effective flow of the Kingdom out into society is greatly compromised. Building are just one example of sand in the Kingdom’s gears, there are many others which I explore is Chapter 5: The Crumbling of a Viral Jesus Movement, in Viral Jesus.

The other issue I have with non-biblical ecclesiology is how such behavior compromises the lordship of Jesus Christ. Let’s take ministry as a business project as an example. Biblical ministry behavior was based on Jesus actually making the command decisions. One great place to see this in practice is Acts 16:6-10 another is Acts 13:1-3. Note in Acts 16, as Paul and friends move through Asia minor, how Jesus himself directs them in where to go and what to do. Note such powerful phrases as: kept by the Holy Spirit from preaching the word in the province of Asia and but the Spirit of Jesus would not allow them to, and concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them. This is ministry directed by Jesus himself and discerned through prophecy.

In place of such spiritually powerful and effective ministry, we decide that American business practice and its use of human planning, like time bound and quantifiable goals, will make us more effective. All it does is strip away control of the ministry from Jesus the Lord and place it firmly in our foolish human hands. Again I discuss this in Viral Jesus. We have replaced supernaturally powerful, Jesus directed ministry for humanly powerful, man directed ministry. Just remember whoever makes the decision is the lord. If we make decisions we are lords, if Jesus makes the decisions He is Lord.

So my concern for the foolish later historical encrustations in the Church (Christendom) are not merely issues of personal preference, they are strategic and they are spiritual. I believe it would do us well to discuss this openly and graciously so we all become more effective at following Jesus into the harvest. That was one of my goals for writing Viral Jesus.

  • What other ministry practices besides using buildings and ministry as a business do you think interferes with the frictionless spread of the Kingdom?
  • Why do you think the church began to adopt these non-biblical practices?
  • Do you believe, like I do, that God intentionally built such things as ecclesiology and ministry practice to be frictionless and led by Him, or are you not persuaded by my argument?
  • How can we have Jesus led ministry if we don’t practice prophecy? How can we determine which prophecies are from the Lord and which are fleshly if we don’t study and practice discernment of spirits?
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Identity

Filed Under: Biblical Meditation, Christendom, Church Life, Jesus is Lord, Spiritual Life by rossrohde — 3 Comments
January 26, 2012

Does the collar and the pipe make him more credible?

I personally know a lot of clergy and ex-clergy. If you include missionaries in that category, which I do, I know a whole boatload more. I lived and breathed in that world for over 25 years. One of the tendencies I’ve noted among those of us who are, or were, in the clergy is the propensity for getting our personal identity from our title or position. This often ends up causing spiritual and emotional problems for us.

There is a particularly dangerous perk when one is a member of the titled clergy. It is the perk of unearned reverence or respect.  Usually one is introduced as, “This is Pastor So and So.” Or, “this is What’s Her Name, she’s a missionary.” Of course the not so subtle subtext on this introduction is, “so treat with reverence and respect their opinion on all things religious.” In some circles the clergy even have special uniforms so that people will know who they are, otherwise their opinions might be treated as average and mundane.

In my particular case, when I was ordained[1], I had a special friend who addressed all my letters to Rev. Ross Rohde. This was 30 years ago when letters actually existed. I was actually introduced to people as Rev…you get the picture. Have you ever stopped to think how ridiculous the title Reverend is? Literally it means this is a person to be revered.

Revere: to show devoted deferential honor to: regard as worthy of great honor.[2]

Should we have a special class of people who are treated deferentially? I’ll let Paul answer that question. On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, and the parts that we think are less honorable we treat with special honor. And the parts that are unpresentable are treated with special modesty, while our presentable parts need no special treatment. But God has combined the members of the body and has given greater honor to the parts that lacked it, so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. (I Cor. 12: 22-25)

It should come as no surprise that being treated reverentially can go to our heads. For a few it is an intense adrenaline rush. For most, it is an unnoticed, unconscious, tacit problem that still deeply and negatively touches our ego. Those of us placed in this revered category, whether we like it or not, end up subconsciously playing the role. We are quick in any religious discussion to share our opinions. We are all too prone to dominate the agenda. We feel that others should respect our experience and position. Let’s face it, its fun to be a big shot, or at least the biggest guppy in the mud puddle. If we become aware of our ego issue, we try to hold our tongue, to sit on our hands…but it’s tough, real tough.

But here’s the even more devastating problem I’ve noticed. What happens when one is no longer a member of the clergy? What happens when your identity has been stripped away? What happens when the people who were calling you Reverend, fire you? What happens when the Reverend has to become an insurance agent to survive? That can be an incredible blow to one’s identity. The clergy are just as much victims of the clergy/laity system as are the laity. Both end up getting wounded by it.

Here’s the truth, whether we like it or not, a godly plumber is no less holy than a godly bishop. Popes or pastors have no more or less access to God than we do. God’s calling to be a waiter at the coffee shop is every bit as sacred as being called to the dangerous streets of Mogadishu. It might even be more strategic for the Kingdom. My cousin is called to be a cheese maker. I don’t doubt that calling in his life, nor does it make me, a twenty-five year veteran of overseas missions, any holier than he is. We both love Jesus and are obeying our calling from our Lord. Isn’t that enough?

The issue isn’t one class of people being more holy than another. It isn’t a matter of one calling being more special than another. The issue is obedience to the calling Jesus has called us to? Are we continuing to become the people he wants us to be? Let’s not get our identity from making cheese or being a denominational executive. Let’s just be identified by who lives in our hearts and minds.

  • Are all callings life time callings? Can God call someone to be in full time ministry; then have what some would consider a menial job? Are they less of the person they always were?
  • Where do you think this division of status came from? I can assure you it doesn’t come from the New Testament.
  • Is there still room for special respect for those who have demonstrated godly maturity and wisdom? Is an auto mechanic or a full time mother any more or less likely to be spiritually mature and wise than a full time minister? Can’t being a full time mechanic or mother be full time ministry?
  • Have you ever known non-clergy who were deeply spiritual and wise? Have you ever known people in professional ministry who shamed the name of Jesus with their behavior?

[1] I don’t believe in ordination any more since it has no support biblically. But, like everyone else, I was fitting into the system I knew.

[2] Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary: http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/revere .

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Why I Hate Religion but Love Jesus, Is it Possible?

Filed Under: Christendom, Church History, Recommended Books, The Viral Jesus Book, Worldview by rossrohde — 4 Comments
January 21, 2012

The video, Why I Hate Religion but Love Jesus, has touched a deep chord or a raw nerve in many people. In the last eleven days it had been watched on YouTube 15,839,759 times (as of Jan. 21, 9:10 AM, Pacific Time). That’s over a million times a day! Not surprisingly it has made some people angry, but to the vast majority, particularly the young, it is speaking what has been on their hearts but they could not, would not, or feared to say. Here is the video for the three of you out there who have not already seen it ;) .

Why I Hate Religion but Love Jesus:

What has surprised me is the frustrated, angry or negative response. Here is one of the most creative and eloquent.

Why I Love Religion and Love Jesus:

So what is going on here? Is religion good or bad? It’s not that simple. Part of the problem is a confusion of terms and worldviews, which Mike Morrell does a good job of clarifying in Jesus and Religion’s Relationship Status: It’s Complicated.

So let’s define terms roughly as Jeff Bethke (the author of Why I Hate Religion but Love Jesus) is defining it.

Jesus = A loving intimate God who we can know and experience personally. This Jesus is revealed in the Bible.

Religion = All the extra bits that have encrusted themselves around Jesus over the years; the extra-biblical traditions of men.

Is this even important? I believe it is extremely important. The fact that this video is getting a million hits a day ought to tell us something. This has touched a deep chord in our society. I believe it is religion, as defined above, which is keeping the Gospel of Jesus from going viral. That is why I wrote my book, Viral Jesus.

  • If we define religion, as it is defined above, why would anybody want to defend it?
  • Do you believe religion can get in the way of the Gospel?
  • After watching Bethke’s video, are you more into Jesus or religion? Be honest with yourself. Even if you are closer to the “Jesus” side of the equation, did he poke some of your sacred cows?
  • Do you think it is possible that American Evangelicals could be as religious as Catholics, just having a different set of “extra bits?”
  • Do you believe Fr. Pontifex in Why I Love Religion and Love Jesus was wrong (or right) 100% of the time? Is it possible to have a real relationship with Jesus in the midst of a lot of religion? Did you find that you agreed with some of what Fr. Pontifex said? Did that surprise you?
  • Does criticizing religion play into atheism’s hand, as Fr. Pontifex states?
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Vocabulary Confusion

Filed Under: Biblical Meditation, Christendom, Jesus is Lord, Viral Christianity, Worldview by rossrohde — Leave a comment
January 20, 2012

Influence flows from what is inside of us.

When we use one word, but give it the meaning of another, confusion can ensue. I think there is a lot of confusion nowadays in the Church by the way we confuse and abuse three words: authority, influence and power. So, I’d like to give what I believe are good definitions of these word and show how the misuse of these words leads not only to confusion but often, harm.

Authority

Parker J. Palmer in his book The Courage to Teach talks about the authority of a teacher.

External tools of power have occasional utility in teaching, but they are no substitute for authority, the authority that comes from the teacher’s inner life. The clue is in the word itself, which has author at its core. Authority is granted to people who are perceived as authoring their own words, their own actions, their own lives, rather than playing a scripted role at great remove from their own hearts. When teachers depend on the coercive powers of law or technique, they have no authority at all. [1]

For more on this read Authority: How Jesus Leads a Church.

I think this is an excellent understanding of authority. Authority is what flows out of one’s character, one’s experience, one’s life, which gives us the ability to impact others. It reflects who we are. It has nothing to do with position, title or power. Nor can it be invoked. We either have authority or we don’t, and that depends on who we are.

Influence

Influence is a gift. It is a gift from the person being influenced and it is a gift from God. We cannot force someone to be influenced by us. Either they trust and respect us enough to influence them or they don’t. It is their call. And, it is a gift from God. God gives us the ability and the favor to influence others. Still, it is not anything we have control over; it must be given. Influence, then, is the trust, respect and honor others give us which allows us to impact their lives. Influence is when what is inside of us flows out to impact others. Influence and authority are deeply related.

Power

Power comes from the ability to reward or punish others, thereby impacting what they do. Power comes from force, position or title. It may be accompanied by authority and influence but needs neither. It can be wielded gently or harshly, but it is based on reward and punishment, not necessarily the desire or will of others. Human power has no place in Christianity but is exceedingly common in Christendom. Power is the ability to control others behavior through reward and punishment. At its core, human power is fear based and coercive. Power is not related to authority and influence. It is a separate entity. One cannot have influence without authority. Power can stand on its own, but when it does so, it is destructive.

I’m willing to bet each and every person reading this blog has had an experience, at one time or another, with the following scenario. Someone, perhaps the “leader” states, “You must submit to the authority of ______________.” As in, “I’m the pastor, you must submit to my authority.” That isn’t authority, its power. We don’t submit to authority, we respond to it. Power needs and demands submission. Authority and influence neither need submission nor demand it. There is no place for that in biblical Christianity, yet we see it all the time in Christendom.

Jesus said to them, “The kings of the Gentiles lord it over them; and those who exercise authority over them call themselves Benefactors. But you are not to be like that. Instead, the greatest among you should be like the youngest, and the one who rules like the one who serves. (Luke 22:25-26).

I suspect that Jesus was being ironic here. I believe he is using the word “authority” but describing power; in other words mocking and denigrating the power I have describe above. What do kings and lords have? They have titles, positions and power. They can reward and they can punish. They demand submission. We aren’t even supposed to say we are doing so for the good of others. After all, Jesus noted they “call themselves Benefactors.” We are not to be like that. Instead we influence others based on the authority, love and service that comes from our lives. To do so requires no title, position or power. We can do it coming from the position of a little child or a slave. Yet even a slave can have the influence and authority of character and experience.

We have no control over the authority and influence we have, other than being godly people who serve others with a whole heart. Still, we can have great authority and influence. Human power, a common element of Christendom’s behavior, should have no place among us. It is destructive. It is not our job to reward or punish, that belongs to God.

  • Why do you think the wielding of human power is so common in Christendom?
  • What happens when we see a brother/sister in sin, when we know what he/she should be doing? Isn’t that a time to use power?
  • How can we gain more authority and influence? Is it something we should seek?
  • If we have real influence and authority, do we have to be careful how we use it?

[1] Parker J. Palmer, The Courage to Teach (San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass, 1998) p. 33.

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Success

Filed Under: Christendom, Spiritual Life, Worldview by rossrohde — 1 Comment
January 9, 2012

What do you think is the key to success?

Below are all the verses in the New Testament which mention the word “success.”

No, that is not a typo, I’m making a point. The New Testament does not even mention a common Christian obsession, successful ministry. Yet, in my 40 years as a Christian and with about 30 years of “professional” ministry under my belt, I can tell you that success is a pretty hot topic in ministry circles. We talk about people who have had “successful ministries.” We admire “successful ministries.” We buy books which may give us three or five or even THE one key to success. We long to have a “successful ministry.”

So, what are we talking about? Stop and think about it, what are we really talking about? In other words, how do we really measure success, what are its metrics?

I would submit that the underlying driving logic of those seeking success is really the admiration of others.   When we talk of successful ministries are we not most often really talking about ministries that impress other people? And how do ministries become admired by other people? They usually have big, measureable numbers of people involved. They often have a lot of flash and hype associated with them. Are not many of those seeking a successful ministry really not just seeking the approval and attention of others?

Jesus told us to bear fruit. He told us that the way to bear fruit was to abide in him. He never told us to use a marketing campaign. He never even suggested or modeled the 1st Century Palestinian equivalent. Jesus wasn’t afraid to do public ministry. But he was quite prone to making unpopular statements which made him look much less successful. Jesus was much more likely to go off and pray by himself than he was to try to impress anyone or look for a bigger crowd. At one point he made such an unpopular statement that many of his disciples left him.

A story and two questions

When I was a missionary in Guatemala I heard about a missionary who had left years before I got there. His entire career was devoted to discipling five Guatemalan men. When he left Guatemala that was all he had accomplished, training five young Guatemalan men how to follow Jesus. I’ll bet he had a tough time writing prayer letters. Was he successful? What if I told you that all five of those men became very effective godly leaders? A number of them went on to plant whole denominations whose growth came from conversions, not just transfers from other churches. Now what do you think?

What was Jesus most successful moment? How did he gain his success?

  • Is fruitful ministry the same as success? How do we measure fruit? Is it always obvious to others?
  • Agee or disagree: Aiming for success is aiming for the wrong thing. If not success, what should we seek?
  • Why do you think we talk about success so much in ministry circles?
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